The Webquest "Dreamstories" is an interactive, on-line, integrated unit of work to introduce you to the diverse Aboriginal world of the Dreamtime. This learning outcome will cover a complete term of work comprising weekly lessons of a 2 hour duration. Once you have formed yourself into groups, your group will be required to select a specific learning foci and a specific Aboriginal identity, in order to become an expert in the Dreamtime knowledge (refer back to the Task page for clarification).
There are three formats that you can choose from in order for your group to present its findings regarding the Dreamtime.
For example, if your group chose to become an expert in Aboriginal language as an Aboriginal Elder of a Tribe, your group would be required to research information regarding the importance of language in the tribal community. Can language be expressed in a variety of ways in relation to the Dreamtime? Did different Aboriginal groups have different languages? If they did, how were they able to communicate effectively with other groups in different regions?
Hunter
If your group chose the role of Hunter, you would need to research the Dreamtime stroies regarding hunting and its importance to the tribe. What status does the Hunter have in the tribe? How did the Hunter know what to look for when tracking animals or when searching for food or water?
Songman
If your group chose the role of Songman, you would need to research the Dreamtime in regard to Aboriginal songs, music, dance etc; to find out how this knowledge comes down from one generation to another? How was this music preserved without modern technology?
Child
If your group chose the role of child, you would need to research the Dreamtime in regard to the status of a child in the tribe, their rights, and their responsibilities. How do they honour and respect their elders, their parents and the leaders of the communal group? What would it be like to be a child passing through a 'right-of-passage'? These are but a few examples for your group to consider?
As part of the classes' celebration at the conclusion of your WebQuest, your group will be required to give a presentation of your research findings on your subject material to the whole class. You can present this in a variety of ways. Your group can present its findings as a story or what we call a "narrative". This can be presented in spoken format, or as a visual text. Your group may present a dramatic play depicting their research material. Your group can present their findings in the form of a dance with music or without music. Your group may present its material as a series of symbols depicting a story in art form?
Which ever medium you choose, you will be required to demonstrate the importance of story telling in Aborigianl culture. You will also be required to highlight the importance of your Dreamtime knowledge (language, culture, social structure, the environment, or food [plant & animal]) in your presentation.
As part of this integrated unit you will be required to keep an individual account of your Dreamtime research as an eBlog on a weekly basis. This will take the form of an electronic journal in which you will be required to keep an account of the weekly WebQuest lesson, the web sites you visited in your group, what you are learning (being able to synthesise and express this information in your own words) and questions you may have for your teacher. Your teacher will view your eBlog on week 3 and week 7. The class will also be able to post relevant questions for the teacher in our WebQuest Hub on the school's UltraNet. The teacher will seek to answer your concerns but also to ensure that you are learning at an appropriate level during the WebQuest adventure. This work will be conducted by you outside of the scheduled weekly lessons of the WebQuest.
To view an outline of assessment for the weekly activities click on the Evaluation page.
Week 1 Activities
After viewing the youtube clip from the Introduction Page, move into the activities.
What you know about the Dreamtime? Duration: 15-30mins
As a whole class create a mind map of all the words that have been discussed. Teacher to present this visually using Interactive whiteboard and Inspiration computer program. Write down anything that comes to mind.
What you would like to know? Duration: 15-30mins
Choose 4 ideas presented in the mind map.
As a group brainstorm some questions about what you would like to know around the topics you have chosen.
Decide as a group the most important questions to explore.
How will you seek to find out? Duration: 15-30mins
Discuss as a whole class what avenues you could take to find out information.
For example – talking to significant local and Aboriginal members of your community, visiting websites, reading books, exploring artwork, watching documentries, listening to music.
Within your groups, decide which of these areas of investigation may be best to find out answers to the questions you have chosen to explore in relation to your chosen role and presentation style.
For example – your group may choose to present a dance/music piece in relation to an Elder’s understanding of the Dreamtime.
Websites for students to access: http://aso.gov.au/education/indigenous/ - heaps of video clips re-Aboriginal culture, cultural practices, land, identity, art, music, dreaming, politics - clips from documentaries, films etc.
Week 2 activities
Duration: 1 hour
As a whole class group watch the clip from ABC television program Message Stick titled Before Galileo. It discusses how scientists today are working with the Aboriginal people to understand the night's sky. As a class brainstorm ideas around the questions 'Why were the stars and the night's sky important in Australian Aboriginal culture?' Read the Overview from the Australian Aboriginal Astronomy website and discuss with your group members what you discover. How were the stars used by storytellers, hunters, elders? Using the information provided by the Scienceworks Planetarium called 'Stories in the Stars - the night sky of the Boorong people' choose a constellation with your group that you would like to explore further. Using the Sky Map as your reference point and the map on page 10 of the kit, can you pinpoint where your constellation is in the night sky in comparison to the constellations we now talk about?
Creating the Stars Activity:
Duration: 40mins
Materials required:
A3 Black poster paper
Aluminium Foil
Scissors
PVA Glue
White Chalk
In your group create your own Aboriginal Constellation using the "Stories in the Stars" information as a reference. Chose a constellation and mark out where the stars would sit on your Black poster paper using the white chalk. Scrunch up small balls of aluminium foil to represent the stars and use PVA glue to stick them against your markers. Using the white chalk again, connect the stars to represent the image of your constellation.
To finish:
Duration: 20mins
As a small group, become storytellers of the stars and create a short story for the constellation that you have chosen.
This story will be presented to the whole class in Week 3.
Before next week: Tonight at home, if it is a clear night, go outside and look up at the nights sky. What constellations do you know about? Which ones can you point out? Does anyone else in your family know any others that they can show you? Enter any interesting information that you come across into your blog.
Week 3 activities
The Mimis
Star Story Mini Group Presentations and whole class discussion
Duration: 30mins
Groups present their Dreamtime stories they have created about their constellation art work.
Stories in the Dust:
Using the site Dust Echoes, explore one of the Dreamtimes stories found there. Find out where the story originated, what the story was created and used for, and the original meaning or message behind it.
Explore the glossary to find out more about specific Aboriginal words and terms.
Using the Mash It Up link on the story you have chosen, create your own 1 minute version to be presented to the class, along with any interesting information that you have discovered about the origins of the story.
Duration: 1 1/2 hours
Watch Dust Echoes story – The Mimis – on the interactive whieboard.
Teacher explains the story behind the animation, what does the story mean? Use Study Guide as a reference.
Introduce activity – Create your own Dreamtime story using the animations of the Dust Echoes stories and MASH IT UP tool – model the activity using The Mimis, on the interactive whiteboard – asking for student involvement throughout the process.
Break off into work groups and choose another Dust Echoes Dreamtime story to ‘Mash Up’.
Stories to choose from:
The Mimis
Mermaid Story
Brolga
The Moon Man
The Be
The Wagalak Sisters
Steps:
1. Select a 10 second video clip from the ‘Select Video’ menu for each scene (1-6).
2. Select Audio Tracks for each scene (1-6).
3. Use the ‘Preview’ button to preview the video and audio for a scene.
4. Use the ‘Play Movie’ button to view your own 1 minute version of the story.
Move around your groups to the 'Mash Ups' each has created about their story.
Week 4 activities – Songs and Music Part 1 – Duration 5mins Songs are an integral part of every society. Music and song writing is an ancient custom practiced by many cultures. How does Aboriginal culture use music to tell stories? Does western culture tell stories through their music as well? If so, how is this done? What type of stories can you think of? Listen to some songs to see if you can understand the message contained? Click on this link and hear how people have used music and song writing to get their story understood to the society of its day.* What role does music play in our lives? How do we use music in the classroom? Why do you use music to tell stories?
* Teachers note: Please refer to Teacher's Page for extentions to this activity.
Part 2 – 10mins Music without lyrics can tell a story in itself. Play the 1st 2 minutes of the clip introduced in Week 1 – Close your eyes and listen to the didgeridoo song that was played in week 1. Think about what images come to mind as you listen to it (landscape, animals etc). Can you pick up any sounds that represent noises that we commonly hear today? As a class discuss various ways how this music could tell a story. What kind of story could it tell? Part 3 – Duration: 15mins brainstorm + 5x 5min performances (25mins) Play clip again (1st 2 minutes) Divide into your work groups and come up with a story behind the music. You have been shown the Dust Echoes stories and you may like to use these Dreamtime stories as an idea to base your story on. Create a short impromptu performance piece of 2 minutes to show the class. Ask your teacher to film your performance to upload it into your eBlogs.
Part 4 - Hip Hop – Duration – 1 hour Watch the BTN Report as a class about the kids from the Northern Territory using Hip Hop to tell their stories. Hip Hop As a class discuss how different cultures influence the way we live – do you think it important to learn your family’s language (if you were from another country)? Do you think it is important for Aboriginal children to learn their native language? How are the young Aboriginal children using Rap to express their stories? Could we do the same? In your work groups choose a familiar Nursery Rhyme to create your own Hip Hop Version. Nursery Rhyme Ideas – Humpty Dumpty, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, Three Blind Mice Ask your teacher to film the performances for your eBlogs.
Websites for students to access: http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/songs.html - Traditional Aboriginal Music and Songs of the Dreamtime http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/songman.html - information about the Songman's role in the tribe http://www.yothuyindi.com/music/treaty.html - Explanation of where the song came from (why it was written), the lyrics including the aboriginal words and their translations, and the Video Clips. Click on the You Tube clip below by yothuyinidi
Week 5 Activities – Dance and Ceremony Part 1 - Duration 2 hr Dance is an integral part of Aboriginal ceremonies. Traditional instruments are used to support the themes of the dance and what the movements are trying to express. Aboriginal culture has many different ceremonies from rite-of-passage, celebration of life and death, and the passage of knowledge through Dreamtime storytelling. Many of the Aboriginal Spirit animals can be identified by different movements. As a class watch the following clip http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/jardiwarnpa-blood-brothers/clip3/ to see how the different aspects of the ceremony work together to tell a story. What do you see? What instruments do you hear? What story do you think they are trying to portray?
One important aspect of Ceremony is the music. As a class, listen to a traditional piece of music – can you pick the different instruments they have used? Break into your work groups. Collect 1 or 2 different percussion instruments. Experiment with these instruments for 5 minutes. How many different sounds can you create with these instruments (for example – scraping, scratching, clapping, clicking, rustling) Activity: Create a short rhythm piece with your instruments (it could be a tune that you already know, or something completely original). You must include every instrument that you have in your group. After 5 minutes come back to the whole class. Each group to present their short piece.
Part 2 – Activity – Readers’ Theatre Performance Introduce the Poem – Spiritual Song of the Aborigine by Hyllus Maris.
Spiritual Song of the Aborigine
I am a child of the Dreamtime People
Part of this Land, like the gnarled gumtree
I am the river, softly singing
Chanting our songs on my way to the sea
My spirit is the dust-devils
Mirages, that dance on the plain
I'm the snow, the wind and the falling rain
I'm part of the rocks and the red desert earth
Red as the blood that flows in my veins
I am eagle, crow and snake that glides
Thorough the rain-forest that clings to the mountainside
I awakened here when the earth was new
There was emu, wombat, kangaroo
No other man of a different hue
I am this land
And this land is me
I am Australia.
Hyllus Maris
What is the poem describing? What are the different animals portrayed? Break up into your work groups again. Your teacher will allocate a different ceremonial role for you to explore: Group A – Musical Instruments Group B – Movement Group C – Voice Group D – Voice If there are more than 4 groups include more movement and music groups as required. Read through the poem again. Music Group: What percussion instruments could be used to highlight parts of the poem? Movement Group: What movements could you use to represent the animals and other things within the poem? Voice Groups: Allocate a number for each person. Practice the poem a few times, each person and group reading out aloud their respective parts. Explore different ways to use expressiveness, intonation and inflection of your voice within the piece.
Spiritual Song of the Aborigine
Group 1: I am a child of the Dreamtime People
Part of this Land, like the gnarled gumtree Group 2: I am the river, softly singing
Chanting our songs on my way to the sea Group 1: My spirit is the dust-devils
Mirages, that dance on the plain Group 2 Person 1: I'm the snow,
Group 2 Person 2: the wind
Group 2 Person 3: and the falling rain
Group 1 Person 1:
I'm part of the rocks and the red desert earthGroup 1 Person 2: Red as the blood that flows in my veins Group 1 and 2: I am eagle, crow and snake that glides
Through the rain-forest that clings to the mountainside Group 1 Person 4: I awakened here when the earth was new Group 2 Person 4: There was emu,
Group 2 Person 5: wombat,
Group 2 Person 1 kangaroo Group 1 and 2 No other man of a different hue
I am this land
And this land is me
I am Australia.
(Hyllus Maris)
After 20 minutes, come together as a class. Each group comes up to present what they have done separately as you read through the poem again. Once each of the separate groups have presented, run through the poem again, combining all the different groups together. TEACHER’S NOTE – READERS THEATER PIECE IS USED TO JUDGE STUDENTS FLUENCY OF EXPRESSION. TRADITIONAL READERS THEATRE PIECES ARE PRIMARILY VOICE BASED. AS WE ARE INCORPORATING THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CEREMONIAL TRADITIONS, MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ARE ALSO INTRODUCED AS A MAJOR FOCUS ALONG SIDE THE VOICE COMPONENTS. TEACHERS CAN CHOOSE TO ADAPT THIS ACTIVITY AS THEY SEE WOULD BEST SUIT THEIR CLASS.
Websites for students to access: http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/dance.html - a little information about dance styles
To Finish:
As an endnote to this week's lesson ask your teacher to show the YouTube clip about the Aboriginal Dance group that was invited to Greece to perform their traditional dance to Zorba-style music.
Week 6 Activities – Art and Symbols
Soakage
Part 1 - Exploring Art Duration 20 minutes In small groups, explore different images of traditional Aboriginal art. Look at the different techniques they have used to create the image. What symbols have they used. What story may the artwork be telling? Do any of the symbols appear in more than one painting? Within your groups, choose one of the symbols that are represented in the paintings you have viewed and research their meaning. Use the sites http://www.walangari.com.au/dreamtime-tour/dreamings-and-culture.html and http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/symbols.php as a starting point for your research. As a whole class, discuss what you have found out about your symbols.
Aboriginal art symbols are known as iconography. Aboriginal people recorded information about their travels in the form of symbols. These symbols were represented in lines and dots. Many of the symbols have multiple meanings. They were used to narrate the complex Dreamtime tales.
Activity– A picture tells a thousand words Duration: 1 hour Materials needed
Black Card stock
Poster paint – Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Brown, Charcoal/Black
Cotton tips
Newspaper to cover tables
Create a dot painting that centre around different symbols seen in the paintings you explored earlier. Use 2 or 3 different symbols to tell a story in your painting. Your story could be based on a story from your own life, the Dreamtime or completely imaginary.
Duration: 10mins
Once you have completed your painting, move around the class and see what your classmates have come up with. What is the story behind their image?
For Next Week:
Preparation for Murrandini’s visit to the classroom
Duration 30 mins
Murrandindi will come to talk about the three themes – storytelling, music-dance, and art, the three main themes of this WebQuest.
As a class discuss your progress over the last few weeks.
What did you think about the dream time when we started?
What do you know now?
What would you like to further discuss?
In your work groups brainstorm some questions you would like to ask Murrandindi about the topic you have chosen.
From your ideas, select 2 or 3 questions you believe are the most relevant to bring to Murrandindi’s talk next week.
Week 7 – Incursion
Duration: 10mins As a class welcome the Aboriginal Elder – Murrandindi to the classroom. Invite a student representative to explain what your class has been exploring. Duration: 1hour Murrandindi’s presentation After Murrandindi has finished speaking about the Dreamtime, musical instruments and Aboriginal artwork, he will invite your questions. Duration: 25mins A representative for each group will ask 1 question that your group thinks would be important to know in order to have a more factual understanding of the Dreamtime to help with preparations for your performance in week 10. Another student representative is called on to thank Murrandindi for coming to discuss the knowledge of the Dreamtime with the class. Duration: 30 mins Break off into your work groups to brainstorm ideas for your performance that have come from the information that you explored and heard about today. Week 8 and 9 - Collaboration and Consolidation of student work
Week 8 – Creating
In your work groups, come up with a concept for your performance piece to be shown in Week 10.
From the information you have gathered and the presentation medium you have decided upon (story-telling, music/dance/ceremony or art/symbols) design a short (5-10 minute) celebration of work.
Your performance should highlight the importance of storytelling in Aboriginal Culture, strongly reference the Dreamtime and the Dreaming stories and make reference to the role of the tribe you have chosen (elder, child, songman, or hunter).
Design a story board for your performance using large sheets of Butchers Paper and textas.
Designate tasks for each member to complete in relation to the final performance.
Conference your group’s ideas with your teacher, so that you can gain feedback on how your presentation is going.
Some Ideas:
Art gallery; comic strip using art symbols or ideas from the Dreamtime stories you have read; dance/movement piece retelling a Dreamtime story; musical interpretation of an art piece or story, creating Dreamtime stories about things that are happening today.
Week 9 – Finalising
In your work groups, use these last 2 hours to practice and finalise your presentations for the following week.
Ensure that your presentation covers the areas that your group has chosen to explore.
Week 10 - Celebration!
Help recreate your classroom into an Aboriginal ceremonial site, large circular space with a make believe ‘campfire’ in the middle. Create atmosphere by hanging Aboriginal artworks around the room and playing traditional music in the background.
This is a time for celebration of your work and achievement over the past 10 weeks.
At the end of the presentations complete a self-evaluation form in regards to the WebQuest.
Overview
There are three formats that you can choose from in order for your group to present its findings regarding the Dreamtime.
(1). Story-Telling (Narrative). (2). Music/Dance/Ceremony (3). Art/Symbols
Elder
For example, if your group chose to become an expert in Aboriginal language as an Aboriginal Elder of a Tribe, your group would be required to research information regarding the importance of language in the tribal community. Can language be expressed in a variety of ways in relation to the Dreamtime? Did different Aboriginal groups have different languages? If they did, how were they able to communicate effectively with other groups in different regions?Hunter
If your group chose the role of Hunter, you would need to research the Dreamtime stroies regarding hunting and its importance to the tribe. What status does the Hunter have in the tribe? How did the Hunter know what to look for when tracking animals or when searching for food or water?
Songman
If your group chose the role of Songman, you would need to research the Dreamtime in regard to Aboriginal songs, music, dance etc; to find out how this knowledge comes down from one generation to another? How was this music preserved without modern technology?Child
If your group chose the role of child, you would need to research the Dreamtime in regard to the status of a child in the tribe, their rights, and their responsibilities. How do they honour and respect their elders, their parents and the leaders of the communal group? What would it be like to be a child passing through a 'right-of-passage'? These are but a few examples for your group to consider?
As part of the classes' celebration at the conclusion of your WebQuest, your group will be required to give a presentation of your research findings on your subject material to the whole class. You can present this in a variety of ways. Your group can present its findings as a story or what we call a "narrative". This can be presented in spoken format, or as a visual text. Your group may present a dramatic play depicting their research material. Your group can present their findings in the form of a dance with music or without music. Your group may present its material as a series of symbols depicting a story in art form?
Which ever medium you choose, you will be required to demonstrate the importance of story telling in Aborigianl culture. You will also be required to highlight the importance of your Dreamtime knowledge (language, culture, social structure, the environment, or food [plant & animal]) in your presentation.
As part of this integrated unit you will be required to keep an individual account of your Dreamtime research as an eBlog on a weekly basis. This will take the form of an electronic journal in which you will be required to keep an account of the weekly WebQuest lesson, the web sites you visited in your group, what you are learning (being able to synthesise and express this information in your own words) and questions you may have for your teacher. Your teacher will view your eBlog on week 3 and week 7. The class will also be able to post relevant questions for the teacher in our WebQuest Hub on the school's UltraNet. The teacher will seek to answer your concerns but also to ensure that you are learning at an appropriate level during the WebQuest adventure. This work will be conducted by you outside of the scheduled weekly lessons of the WebQuest.
To view an outline of assessment for the weekly activities click on the Evaluation page.
Week 1 Activities
After viewing the youtube clip from the Introduction Page, move into the activities.
What you know about the Dreamtime? Duration: 15-30mins
As a whole class create a mind map of all the words that have been discussed. Teacher to present this visually using Interactive whiteboard and Inspiration computer program. Write down anything that comes to mind.
What you would like to know?Duration: 15-30mins
Choose 4 ideas presented in the mind map.
As a group brainstorm some questions about what you would like to know around the topics you have chosen.
Decide as a group the most important questions to explore.
How will you seek to find out? Duration: 15-30minsDiscuss as a whole class what avenues you could take to find out information.
For example – talking to significant local and Aboriginal members of your community, visiting websites, reading books, exploring artwork, watching documentries, listening to music.
Within your groups, decide which of these areas of investigation may be best to find out answers to the questions you have chosen to explore in relation to your chosen role and presentation style.
For example – your group may choose to present a dance/music piece in relation to an Elder’s understanding of the Dreamtime.
Websites for students to access:http://aso.gov.au/education/indigenous/ -
heaps of video clips re-Aboriginal culture, cultural practices, land, identity, art, music, dreaming, politics - clips from documentaries, films etc.
Week 2 activities
Duration: 1 hour
As a whole class group watch the clip from ABC television program Message Stick titled Before Galileo. It discusses how scientists today are working with the Aboriginal people to understand the night's sky. As a class brainstorm ideas around the questions 'Why were the stars and the night's sky important in Australian Aboriginal culture?' Read the Overview from the Australian Aboriginal Astronomy website and discuss with your group members what you discover. How were the stars used by storytellers, hunters, elders? Using the information provided by the Scienceworks Planetarium called 'Stories in the Stars - the night sky of the Boorong people' choose a constellation with your group that you would like to explore further. Using the Sky Map as your reference point and the map on page 10 of the kit, can you pinpoint where your constellation is in the night sky in comparison to the constellations we now talk about?
Creating the Stars Activity:
Duration: 40mins
Materials required:
A3 Black poster paperAluminium Foil
Scissors
PVA Glue
White Chalk
In your group create your own Aboriginal Constellation using the "Stories in the Stars" information as a reference. Chose a constellation and mark out where the stars would sit on your Black poster paper using the white chalk. Scrunch up small balls of aluminium foil to represent the stars and use PVA glue to stick them against your markers. Using the white chalk again, connect the stars to represent the image of your constellation.
To finish:
Duration: 20mins
As a small group, become storytellers of the stars and create a short story for the constellation that you have chosen.
This story will be presented to the whole class in Week 3.
Websites for students to access:
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/AboriginalAstronomy/whatis.htm - Australian Aboriginal Astronomyhttp://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/stories/s2730570.htm - Message Stick - Before Galileo - Watch Video and read transcript - Video is around 26 minutes long - but really good - maybe it could be shown at the beginning of the activity to the whole class as an introduction to the topic.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/pages/6927/stories-in-the-stars.pdf - Stories in the Stars - the night sky of the Boorong people - education kit from Scienceworks highlighting some constellations in Aboriginal culture
http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1008.pdf - Sky Maps map of the evening sky.
Other possible websites:
http://www.warawara.mq.edu.au/aboriginal_astronomy/ - Emu Dreaming
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/AboriginalAstronomy/examples.htm - Specific Examples of Aboriginal Astronomy
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/indigenous-belief-enlightens-astronomers.htm/ - Australian Geographic Article 'Aboriginal Astronomers: world's Oldest?
http://www.questacon.edu.au/starlab/tagai.html - Tagai - story behind the Southern Cross
Before next week:
Tonight at home, if it is a clear night, go outside and look up at the nights sky. What constellations do you know about? Which ones can you point out? Does anyone else in your family know any others that they can show you? Enter any interesting information that you come across into your blog.
Week 3 activities
Star Story Mini Group Presentations and whole class discussion
Duration: 30mins
Groups present their Dreamtime stories they have created about their constellation art work.
Stories in the Dust:
Using the site Dust Echoes, explore one of the Dreamtimes stories found there. Find out where the story originated, what the story was created and used for, and the original meaning or message behind it.
Explore the glossary to find out more about specific Aboriginal words and terms.
Using the Mash It Up link on the story you have chosen, create your own 1 minute version to be presented to the class, along with any interesting information that you have discovered about the origins of the story.
Duration: 1 1/2 hours
Watch Dust Echoes story – The Mimis – on the interactive whieboard.
Teacher explains the story behind the animation, what does the story mean? Use Study Guide as a reference.
Introduce activity – Create your own Dreamtime story using the animations of the Dust Echoes stories and MASH IT UP tool – model the activity using The Mimis, on the interactive whiteboard – asking for student involvement throughout the process.
Break off into work groups and choose another Dust Echoes Dreamtime story to ‘Mash Up’.
Stories to choose from:
The Mimis
Mermaid Story
Brolga
The Moon Man
The Be
The Wagalak Sisters
Steps:
1. Select a 10 second video clip from the ‘Select Video’ menu for each scene (1-6).
2. Select Audio Tracks for each scene (1-6).
3. Use the ‘Preview’ button to preview the video and audio for a scene.
4. Use the ‘Play Movie’ button to view your own 1 minute version of the story.
Move around your groups to the 'Mash Ups' each has created about their story.
Websites for students to access:
http://www.indigenousaustralia.info/languages/oral-traditions.html
- information about the importance of oral story telling traditions
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Stories-of-the-Dreaming - Australian Museum - Stories of the Dreaming - Movie Gallery
Week 4 activities – Songs and Music
Part 1 – Duration 5mins
Songs are an integral part of every society. Music and song writing is an ancient custom practiced by many cultures. How does Aboriginal culture use music to tell stories? Does western culture tell stories through their music as well? If so, how is this done? What type of stories can you think of? Listen to some songs to see if you can understand the message contained? Click on this link and hear how people have used music and song writing to get their story understood to the society of its day.*
What role does music play in our lives? How do we use music in the classroom? Why do you use music to tell stories?
* Teachers note: Please refer to Teacher's Page for extentions to this activity.
Part 2 – 10minsMusic without lyrics can tell a story in itself.
Play the 1st 2 minutes of the clip introduced in Week 1 –
Close your eyes and listen to the didgeridoo song that was played in week 1. Think about what images come to mind as you listen to it (landscape, animals etc). Can you pick up any sounds that represent noises that we commonly hear today?
As a class discuss various ways how this music could tell a story. What kind of story could it tell?
Part 3 – Duration: 15mins brainstorm + 5x 5min performances (25mins)
Play clip again (1st 2 minutes)
Divide into your work groups and come up with a story behind the music. You have been shown the Dust Echoes stories and you may like to use these Dreamtime stories as an idea to base your story on.
Create a short impromptu performance piece of 2 minutes to show the class.
Ask your teacher to film your performance to upload it into your eBlogs.
Part 4 - Hip Hop – Duration – 1 hour
Watch the BTN Report as a class about the kids from the Northern Territory using Hip Hop to tell their stories. Hip Hop
As a class discuss how different cultures influence the way we live – do you think it important to learn your family’s language (if you were from another country)? Do you think it is important for Aboriginal children to learn their native language? How are the young Aboriginal children using Rap to express their stories? Could we do the same?
In your work groups choose a familiar Nursery Rhyme to create your own Hip Hop Version.
Nursery Rhyme Ideas – Humpty Dumpty, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, Three Blind Mice
Ask your teacher to film the performances for your eBlogs.
Websites for students to access:
http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/songs.html
- Traditional Aboriginal Music and Songs of the Dreamtime
http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/songman.html
- information about the Songman's role in the tribe
http://www.yothuyindi.com/music/treaty.html
- Explanation of where the song came from (why it was written), the lyrics including the aboriginal words and their translations, and the Video Clips. Click on the You Tube clip below by yothuyinidi
Week 5 Activities – Dance and Ceremony
Part 1 - Duration 2 hr
Dance is an integral part of Aboriginal ceremonies. Traditional instruments are used to support the themes of the dance and what the movements are trying to express. Aboriginal culture has many different ceremonies from rite-of-passage, celebration of life and death, and the passage of knowledge through Dreamtime storytelling.
Many of the Aboriginal Spirit animals can be identified by different movements.
As a class watch the following clip http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/jardiwarnpa-blood-brothers/clip3/ to see how the different aspects of the ceremony work together to tell a story.
What do you see? What instruments do you hear? What story do you think they are trying to portray?
One important aspect of Ceremony is the music.
As a class, listen to a traditional piece of music – can you pick the different instruments they have used?
Break into your work groups. Collect 1 or 2 different percussion instruments. Experiment with these instruments for 5 minutes. How many different sounds can you create with these instruments (for example – scraping, scratching, clapping, clicking, rustling)
Activity: Create a short rhythm piece with your instruments (it could be a tune that you already know, or something completely original). You must include every instrument that you have in your group.
After 5 minutes come back to the whole class.
Each group to present their short piece.
Part 2 – Activity – Readers’ Theatre Performance
Introduce the Poem – Spiritual Song of the Aborigine by Hyllus Maris.
Spiritual Song of the Aborigine
I am a child of the Dreamtime PeoplePart of this Land, like the gnarled gumtree
I am the river, softly singing
Chanting our songs on my way to the sea
My spirit is the dust-devils
Mirages, that dance on the plain
I'm the snow, the wind and the falling rain
I'm part of the rocks and the red desert earth
Red as the blood that flows in my veins
I am eagle, crow and snake that glides
Thorough the rain-forest that clings to the mountainside
I awakened here when the earth was new
There was emu, wombat, kangaroo
No other man of a different hue
I am this land
And this land is me
I am Australia.
Hyllus Maris
What is the poem describing? What are the different animals portrayed?
Break up into your work groups again.
Your teacher will allocate a different ceremonial role for you to explore:
Group A – Musical Instruments
Group B – Movement
Group C – Voice
Group D – Voice
If there are more than 4 groups include more movement and music groups as required.
Read through the poem again.
Music Group: What percussion instruments could be used to highlight parts of the poem?
Movement Group: What movements could you use to represent the animals and other things within the poem?
Voice Groups: Allocate a number for each person. Practice the poem a few times, each person and group reading out aloud their respective parts. Explore different ways to use expressiveness, intonation and inflection of your voice within the piece.
Spiritual Song of the Aborigine
Group 1:I am a child of the Dreamtime People
Part of this Land, like the gnarled gumtree
Group 2:
I am the river, softly singing
Chanting our songs on my way to the sea
Group 1:
My spirit is the dust-devils
Mirages, that dance on the plain
Group 2 Person 1:
I'm the snow,
Group 2 Person 2:
the wind
Group 2 Person 3:
and the falling rain
Group 1 Person 1:
I'm part of the rocks and the red desert earthGroup 1 Person 2:
Red as the blood that flows in my veins
Group 1 and 2:
I am eagle, crow and snake that glides
Through the rain-forest that clings to the mountainside
Group 1 Person 4:
I awakened here when the earth was new
Group 2 Person 4:
There was emu,
Group 2 Person 5:
wombat,
Group 2 Person 1
kangaroo
Group 1 and 2
No other man of a different hue
I am this land
And this land is me
I am Australia.
(Hyllus Maris)
After 20 minutes, come together as a class. Each group comes up to present what they have done separately as you read through the poem again. Once each of the separate groups have presented, run through the poem again, combining all the different groups together.
TEACHER’S NOTE – READERS THEATER PIECE IS USED TO JUDGE STUDENTS FLUENCY OF EXPRESSION. TRADITIONAL READERS THEATRE PIECES ARE PRIMARILY VOICE BASED. AS WE ARE INCORPORATING THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CEREMONIAL TRADITIONS, MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ARE ALSO INTRODUCED AS A MAJOR FOCUS ALONG SIDE THE VOICE COMPONENTS. TEACHERS CAN CHOOSE TO ADAPT THIS ACTIVITY AS THEY SEE WOULD BEST SUIT THEIR CLASS.
Websites for students to access:
http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/dance.html
- a little information about dance styles
To Finish:
As an endnote to this week's lesson ask your teacher to show the YouTube clip about the Aboriginal Dance group that was invited to Greece to perform their traditional dance to Zorba-style music.Week 6 Activities – Art and Symbols
Part 1 - Exploring Art
Duration 20 minutes
In small groups, explore different images of traditional Aboriginal art. Look at the different techniques they have used to create the image. What symbols have they used. What story may the artwork be telling? Do any of the symbols appear in more than one painting?
Within your groups, choose one of the symbols that are represented in the paintings you have viewed and research their meaning. Use the sites http://www.walangari.com.au/dreamtime-tour/dreamings-and-culture.html and http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/symbols.php as a starting point for your research.
As a whole class, discuss what you have found out about your symbols.
Aboriginal art symbols are known as iconography. Aboriginal people recorded information about their travels in the form of symbols. These symbols were represented in lines and dots. Many of the symbols have multiple meanings. They were used to narrate the complex Dreamtime tales.
Explore www.buzzle.com/articles/5-facts-on-aboriginal-art.html for more information about the use of symbols in Aboriginal Art.
Activity – A picture tells a thousand words
Duration: 1 hour
Materials needed
Black Card stock
Poster paint – Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Brown, Charcoal/Black
Cotton tips
Newspaper to cover tables
Create a dot painting that centre around different symbols seen in the paintings you explored earlier. Use 2 or 3 different symbols to tell a story in your painting. Your story could be based on a story from your own life, the Dreamtime or completely imaginary.
Duration: 10mins
Once you have completed your painting, move around the class and see what your classmates have come up with. What is the story behind their image?
For Next Week:
Preparation for Murrandini’s visit to the classroom
Duration 30 mins
Murrandindi will come to talk about the three themes – storytelling, music-dance, and art, the three main themes of this WebQuest.
As a class discuss your progress over the last few weeks.
What did you think about the dream time when we started?
What do you know now?
What would you like to further discuss?
In your work groups brainstorm some questions you would like to ask Murrandindi about the topic you have chosen.
From your ideas, select 2 or 3 questions you believe are the most relevant to bring to Murrandindi’s talk next week.
Week 7 – Incursion
Duration: 1hour Murrandindi’s presentation
After Murrandindi has finished speaking about the Dreamtime, musical instruments and Aboriginal artwork, he will invite your questions.
Duration: 25mins A representative for each group will ask 1 question that your group thinks would be important to know in order to have a more factual understanding of the Dreamtime to help with preparations for your performance in week 10.
Another student representative is called on to thank Murrandindi for coming to discuss the knowledge of the Dreamtime with the class.
Duration: 30 mins Break off into your work groups to brainstorm ideas for your performance that have come from the information that you explored and heard about today.
Week 8 and 9 - Collaboration and Consolidation of student work
Week 8 – Creating
In your work groups, come up with a concept for your performance piece to be shown in Week 10.
From the information you have gathered and the presentation medium you have decided upon (story-telling, music/dance/ceremony or art/symbols) design a short (5-10 minute) celebration of work.
Your performance should highlight the importance of storytelling in Aboriginal Culture, strongly reference the Dreamtime and the Dreaming stories and make reference to the role of the tribe you have chosen (elder, child, songman, or hunter).
Design a story board for your performance using large sheets of Butchers Paper and textas.
Designate tasks for each member to complete in relation to the final performance.
Conference your group’s ideas with your teacher, so that you can gain feedback on how your presentation is going.
Some Ideas:
Art gallery; comic strip using art symbols or ideas from the Dreamtime stories you have read; dance/movement piece retelling a Dreamtime story; musical interpretation of an art piece or story, creating Dreamtime stories about things that are happening today.
Week 9 – Finalising
In your work groups, use these last 2 hours to practice and finalise your presentations for the following week.
Ensure that your presentation covers the areas that your group has chosen to explore.
Week 10 - Celebration!
Help recreate your classroom into an Aboriginal ceremonial site, large circular space with a make believe ‘campfire’ in the middle.
Create atmosphere by hanging Aboriginal artworks around the room and playing traditional music in the background.
This is a time for celebration of your work and achievement over the past 10 weeks.
At the end of the presentations complete a self-evaluation form in regards to the WebQuest.